Improvement in means for reclaiming low lands



G; HOWELL. Means for Reclaiming Low Lands.

WITNESSES: a Q E I IHQVVENTOR fi ci/aa/ y; 44/07 ATfORNEYi N. PETERS, PHOTOMTHQGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D c.

UNITE ATEN'T FFIGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MEANS FOR RECLAIMING LOW LANDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 221,821 dated November 18, 1879; application filed May 2, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HOWELL, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Reclaiming Low Lands; and I do hereby means for reclaiming waste lands subject to overflow, or low marshy tracts or swamps which, by reason of their depressed and wet condition or character, are unfit for cultivation or for building purposes.

My invention consists, essentially, in peculiar means for filling in such lands with alla vial mud or deposits obtained from the beds of channels of water bodies or courses by dredging apparatus, which discharge the same into reservoirs or basins, whence it is drawn and distributed to any desired extent over the land to be filled in by means of endless conveyers provided with sweeps or scrapers.

Referring to. the accompanying drawings, A indicates a tract of land of any extent of the character suggested-4'. 0., wet, marshy, low, or subject to overflow-which it is desired to reclaim or render adaptable for agricultural, building, or other stable or industrial purposes; Such reclamation or adaptation,-it is assumed, may be accomplished by filling in the low land with soil of a suitable character. To accomplish this a bank, B, of earth, stone, brick, or other material, it not already existent, will be required to be thrown up to divide the tract A from the stream or water-body O,

on which it is assumed to border, such stream or body being navigable by scows bearing dredging apparatus. Between such bank and the water, or within the latter, must also be constructed a reservoir or basin for the reception of the mud or alluvial deposits taken from the beds or channels of rivers, bays, or other water courses or bodies. Such receptacle may consist of abasin formed by excavation effected by the dredges, into which the scows may enter by floating and discharge their con tents. Such a basin is shown at D in the drawings. From the bottom of this basin, and extending to the bank 13, is an inclined plane, D, over which is located an endless conveyer, F. Said conveyor consists of endless chains ff, running on wheels 6 0 upon a shaft, E, sustained on standards E within the basin, and over another shaft, G, having wheels 9 g, and sustained in standards G G, which rest on the bank B, and said chains bein gconnected by transverse scrapers or sweeps f. These scrapers or sweeps may be of any desired constrnction--for example, imperforate planks, as shown at f, or serrated bars, as shown at It is designed that motion should be applied by any suitable motor to the shaft G, so as to cause the conveyer F to move as indicated by the arrows, whereby the mud in the basin 1) vwill be drawn out by the scrapers or sweeps,

carried up the incline D, and discharged'over the bank B upon the tract A. The mud or material thus discharged, owing to its semifluid character, will have a tendency to spread over the tract A; but to facilitate such spreading, as well as to. secure a uniform distribw tion to any determined depth, other conveyers, like F, will be located above said tract, extending across and working over it. These distributing-conveyers form no part of the invention herein described, but are the subject matter of another pending application for patent which I have made. Such conveyers will meet and carry along the. mud thrown over the bank B, and will distribute the same over the tract A, being moved from time to time as the work of reclamation or filling in progresses. So, too, as occasion demands, the basin first made for the reception of the mud may be abandoned and a new one excavated in another locality, theconveyer F be in g moved accordingly.

The advantages of this invention may be briefly summarized as follows: First, a method of economically disposing of the mud dredged from rivers, &c.,is obtained; second, tracts of land which, owing to their native swampy condition, are practically valueless maybe rendered profitable and capable of utilization; and, third, the expense incident to railway transportation of river-deposits is obviated,

veyei", F, provided with scrapers'or sweeps f,

' designed and operated to fill in and reclaim low lands, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand .this 29th day of April, 1879.

GEORGE HOWELL.

Witnesses: I

SAML. J. VAN STAVOREN, OHAs. F. VAN HORN. 

